Great Life Manifesto

I am a big fan of Agile Manifesto. If you haven’t read it before, I urge you to take a look (link here) – even if you have nothing with Agile! It is simple, precise and doesn’t prohibit anything. It sets the right priorities for Agile Software Development.

Inspired by Agile Manifesto, here I go with my version of Great Life Manifesto.

They are not a set of principles. They are not rules to be followed. They are a simple reminder of your priorities to live a great life.

Happiness over Luxury

Excellence over Enormity

Family over Career

Love over Superiority

Before getting into the details, let me tell you something. The latter part of each statement (after over) is not prohibited. But the former gets the higher priority whenever possible.

Happiness over Luxury

One of the drawbacks of excessive wealth is the variety of choices. Often, you end up making choices that appear attractive or luxurious over those that lead to your happiness.

Here is a small first step. Next time when you have to make a choice during a purchase, don’t ask yourself “What is the cost of each option?”. Instead, ask “Which option will give me the most happiness?”.

Luxury is not a bad thing until you have control over it.

Choose happiness over luxury whenever possible; the great life awaits you on the other side.

Excellence over Enormity

Too much of something is not always great. Don’t strive to be a person who has a finger in everything. Instead, yearn to be one who is a master of something.

I could not resist reproducing this quote by Bruce Lee.

“I don’t fear the man who knows 10000 kicks. But I fear the one who practiced a kick, 10000 times”

Strive for excellence. Make a pursuit for mastery.

Family over Career

If you are in your death bed at the age of 70, how many colleagues you think would be around?

Chances are high that there would be none.

Even if you spend minimum time with your family, in comparison to your career, they are the ones you can count on.

Choose your family over career, every single time. Don’t skip your kid’s school convocation for that business meeting. Don’t avoid the weekend picnic for an overtime at work.

Even if they don’t ask for it, they will be elated to have a bigger piece of your time!

Love over Superiority

Most leaders in history are remembered, not for their superiority but for their true love.

Mahatma Gandhi is revered for the love of his nation. Martin Luther King is praised for the love of his community. Mother Teresa is remembered for the love of her society.

Love can help conquer hearts that the superiority cannot even approach. Use superiority like a medicine and not like the food.